


Space Ghost

by petricollie



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Blood and Injury, Fluff and Angst, Hiding in Plain Sight, I'm Sorry, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Partners in Crime, Pining, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, dirty crime boys, dream is a dense bitch, glass animals - Freeform, i think im funny sometimes, is this a soap opera
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28573407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petricollie/pseuds/petricollie
Summary: Dream is the most wanted criminal in all of Florida for whatever reason. He'll never understand why of course because he avoids the news like the plague, and doesn't bother to care. When his closest friend returns home after years of being off the grid, old feelings complicate new ones and he's being thrown right in with no warning. Now with a new, bigger job lined up for him, he'll have to navigate both his emotions and the police. All trying to maintain composure on top of that.What could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Hero

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Restricted Work] by [tbhyourelame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tbhyourelame/pseuds/tbhyourelame). Log in to view. 



> This is my very first fanfiction, and I had a lot of fun writing it! I hope you like it as much as I do. 
> 
> Before you read: I want to give MAJOR props to my friends who helped me proofread and edit this chapter. I love all of you SO much.
> 
> I also want to ask of you to not share this with any of the CC's whether through making references in chat or sharing the link with any of them in donos. Also please refrain from reuploading this onto other platforms, AO3 will be the ONLY place this fic goes, but sharing the pdf is fine. Just as long as it isn't reuploaded. Thank you! <33

The sky flashed in red and blue as the police neared the diner. If he wanted to get out in one piece, he’d have to get out and fast. This situation wasn’t uncommon for Dream, and usually he’d be in and out in less than 20 minutes. Especially for small jobs like this one.

Robbing a diner.

But the middle-aged cashier had given him some trouble. Most small businesses in the area carried weapons, and this one was no different. But the guy was weak compared to the blond, who had easily disarmed him with a smack of his hand. He was now cowering behind the counter, watching the thief take whatever was in the steel box, with the promise that he wouldn’t get hurt if the police weren’t called. That promise was notably broken when the sounds of wailing sirens blared down the street and echoed out into the cold night. 

Dream knew that sound all too well, sending a seething glare to the quivering cashier. A phone pressed up against his cheek. Of course, the cashier couldn’t see the glare, as Dream’s face was covered in a porcelain mask to hide most of his features. You could still see tufts of hair peeking out from under the undoubtedly neon green hoodie. 

Very discreet.

The mask he wore was a simple white, glazed over, and looked as if a toddler had scribbled a smile on it. It was unsettling on Dream, who was a cool 6’3 and had a muscular build. But that depended on what kind of person you were. If you saw him walking down the street with it on you’d probably laugh and shake your head. However, in a high-stress situation like this, you’d probably piss your pants. 

Dream had to turn his head a bit to get a good look at the man. His legs were pushed against his chest, one arm around the knees and the other holding the phone. With one swift movement from him and a bang, the man was lying on his side, scarlet dripping from his skull. 

He would be at peace, and that was what mattered. 

No more stressing over whether or not the thief would return.

No more sleepless nights.

No more pain.

Dream took a moment for the sad man, lowering his hoodie and shedding a tear. He didn’t like killing people. It wasn’t his purpose, but it had to be done. He just stood there, shedding tears for a man he’d never met until, Dream raised his hood back over his head, swung the black bag over his broad shoulder, and reached for a door. He supposed this led to a back room of some sorts, and was met with a grimy kitchen. 

_‘Some health inspector wasn’t doing their job, huh?’_ Dream had thought to himself.

Unwashed plastic plates stacked in the sink and a clear stench filled Dream’s nose. It was horrendous. How had this diner stayed in business all this time? He felt warm bile crawl up his throat and had to frantically cough it back down as the memories of eating here before made themselves clear. 

Dream searched frantically along the walls for an escape, spotting a door saying in red, “Fire Escape”. He raced to the door. The sooner he was out the better. He’d taken up too much time mourning and grimacing at the junkyard kitchen. 

So he quickly and quietly stepped over the numerous plastic wrappers and rotten banana peels before reaching the cool surface of the door handle. He ran his hand over the handle and turned slowly, letting the warm, evening air stream through. This moment was quickly ruined with the sounds of sirens still ringing through his ears. They must’ve just arrived. Seemed to take them a while though, Dream hoped they brought the SWAT if they were going to take 30 minutes to arrest him. 

He slinked out from the back and ran past the alley, cutting behind building after building until he reached a rickety ladder. He rubbed his hands on his jeans and maneuvered the bag over both of his shoulders. Once the light bag was evenly distributed, he put both of his hands on the ladder and began to climb to the roof.

It wasn’t a hard climb, Dream was used to not having a ladder in the first place but they certainly helped. Especially when he was running from the cops a few blocks away. The blond swiftly and quietly climbed up the ladder, being careful to not catch his foot or slip on the cold bars. 

The roof was oddly quiet. Relaxing, even. Dream could barely make out his surroundings with the mask on, but from what he could tell, the Floridian sky never looked more dazzling. He looked around for a bit, focusing his ears on the city and the blaring sirens. 

“They’re still going with that?” He asked himself. 

“Apparently. It’s not like they also have a job or anything,” a familiar voice reached his covered ears, “I’d thought you’d understand that Mr. Ex-Detective.”

Sapnap. Of course. 

“I thought you were still in Texas, Mr. Cowboy,” Dream shot back playfully and turned his head to face his friend. He could barely see his face, but he could clearly see his friend’s cheshire grin. Sapnap let out a laugh and walked over to Dream, arms crossed.

Dream lowered his hood and fumbled with the clasp on the back of this mask, letting it fall into his friend’s quick hands. He then let out a deep sigh and moved his neck side to side, as if attempting to pop something. Nothing produced even a vibration. 

“Always nice to see your ugly mug, even in a night like this,” Sapnap joshed. 

“Could say the same thing about you. At least my face doesn’t have any open wounds anymore,” Dream prodded.

“Anymore? Look at you! You still haven’t tried them on yet.”

“Don’t need to. Got this to cover it up,” Dream pointed out as he held the mask up near his face. 

“No wonder you haven’t gotten a date yet. You’re a nightmare to do business with, _and_ you look like you just walked out of _Hunchback of Notre Dame_.”

They continued laughing and messing with each other until Sapnap sighed shakily.

“Soot says we gotta get going now, the cops are gonna start looking through nearby buildings. Down to get more exercise in?” Sapnap posed.

“Always am,” Dream replied.

___________________________________________________________________________

He could tell Sapnap hadn’t been able to practice his parkour skills since the last time they were together like this. How many years had that been? At least a couple of months- no, years?

Has it really been that long?

Dream hadn’t really been paying attention to his friend, who was clutching his green sleeve in fear. The base was right there, and you could practically smell the sweetness of baked goods coming from the inside. But Dream pressed a reassuring hand on his friend’s and prompted Sapnap to look up at him. He was pale from what Dream could tell, the moonlight and the disadvantage of only having one eye limited his vision. Sapnap’s cheeks were dusted with a light pink and his nose was like a diluted cherry. 

“We have to jump here Snap,” Dream decided and made an attempt to make eye contact with his friend, who was still clutching his sleeve nervously. 

Dream noticed, and let out a breathy laugh, “You’ll be fine. As long as I’m here, nothing bad will happen to you. Look at that deck right there,” He pointed out a thin, metal fire escape on the side of the building. There was a layer of fluffy pillows laying there, practically beckoning the pair to jump down and engulf themselves in the soft sheets.

“Aim there, and you’ll be fine. It’s not even that long of a drop down. I’ve done this a million times before,” Dream continued to comfort Sapnap quietly until the grip on his sleeve loosened, and until both of his hands were down at his sides. He looked to his side, facing his friend.

“You’ll be ok. I promise,” he whispered. With that, Dream leaped into the pillows, and when he had regained his balance looked back up at Sapnap with a toothy grin. You could barely see it in the dark. It just looked as if he was staring at him expectantly.

“Are you sure?” Sapnap wavered. Dream stared at him and gave a very obvious nod.

“Yes. I’m sure. These pillows are soft, and if you miss,” Dream drew a breath in and continued, “I’ll catch you.”

He was obviously playing around though, as told by his light tone. Sapnap looked around worriedly, then down at Dream. With that, he drew in a deep breath and followed his friend into the mass of pillows.

The pillows softened the fall, but the fire escape was cold and to their dismay, not made of the same soft material. Dream grinned at Sapnap proudly and extended a hand to his shaken up friend. The hand was filled after a brief second of silence to collect his thoughts, and then he stood, albeit a little weak in the knees.

“Now we just have stairs, but we need to take the pillows with us,” Dream said reassuringly. Sapnap nodded to show he understood and started picking up the pillows, having to stop at 3, but after Dream readjusted the bag, the rest of them were picked up. 

They could barely see anything, but from how the alley was set up there was a small light off the brick wall next to a door. From what the pair could actually see there was a spiral staircase leading all the way down to the ground that was steep and made of the same metallic material as the balcony. Sapnap exchanged another worried glance at Dream, and in response received a playful grin. He felt his face go warm, but was quickly snapped back into reality when he heard his voice.

“-ok?” Dream asked, and apparently, Sapnap wasn’t paying attention. 

“Hm?”

“I asked if you were ok. You were just staring at me for an uncomfortable amount of time- wanted to make sure you weren’t dying or anything,” Dream laughed a little and turned to start going down the stairs. They were steep and appeared to be of use often. That’s because they were. The only person who lived in the building itself was a good friend of theirs, and he didn’t care too much about the upper floors. That was how they got back to home base, an unfinished floor that was underneath the complex. There was no actual entrance to their floor. No official staircase. Nothing. It was all under a fake porthole in the alleyway between complexes. x

Dream climbed down the stairs carefully, knowing exactly which stairs made the most noise and meticulously avoided them. Sapnap however, hadn’t been here in years. All the steps had worked as they were made to then, now though, things were different.

The steps were flimsier than he remembered, and with the handicap of carrying multiple, fluffy pillows, he was unable to tell which steps Dream had stepped over. 

It was a long, silent walk down the flight of stairs, with the occasional unstable creek under Sapnap’s feet. Until they had reached their destination. A tarp-covered alley. 

“This is it? I thought it was an extremely elaborate, impossible-to-find, hivemind?” Sapnap raised. Dream let out a chuckle and pulled back the end of the tarp, revealing the fake porthole. 

It was actually very well made for being a fake. Someone had either hired a professional artist or stole a real one from down the street. Knowing this group of people, it was probably the latter, and Dream knew exactly who would’ve done that. He chuckled to himself as the thought crossed his mind and spun the porthole open, revealing a step ladder. Just waiting for them.

The taller of the two took the other’s hand and slowly lowered himself down the pit. The soft light from inside illuminated Dream’s speckled face and Sapnap watched as he climbed down carefully- clutching the pillows close to his chest. He eventually followed suit, and pressed himself against the wall to allow Dream to draw the tarp back over and close the porthole.

____________________________________________________________________________

The tunnel was tight, and forced Dream and Sapnap shoulder to shoulder as they shuffled down the hallway. The walls and low ceiling were made of concrete, and Dream’s tall stature forced his hair to brush up against it. You could always tell where he had walked because the normally dirty ceiling would get a clean dusting whenever he returned to the Basement. 

Either way, this tunnel wasn’t built for him. But Sapnap had fit perfectly under the low ceiling. Probably would’ve been able to go comfortably down it, had Dream stayed a little further or behind. 

When Dream had offered, Sapnap shook his head violently. He wasn’t ready to confront his old colleagues, not without Dream’s hand lightly brushing up against his.

The light breeze coming in through the small cracks in between the wall and ceiling made Sap notice how clammy his hand was beside Dreams. He was warm. Sap wiped his hand on his pants before observing the slight shake from the nerves.

Dream wore gloves, granted they were fingerless, but Sapnap thought he was the smartest person for an instant when he was reminded of how cold and sweaty he was. Dream’s hand swept past his to adjust the backpack’s strap that was still slung over his shoulder.

“Ew why are your hands so clammy?” Dream inquired. Sapnap stuck his tongue out as if to say _“Fuck off”._

Dream thought it was amusing.

When they reached the door, the keycard light was glowing an eerie blue.

Dream swiped a keycard, and the light flashed yellow. He then peered through a small peephole and mumbled some incoherent words, almost like another language.

The light turned green, and they were allowed in. 

Dream was immediately tackled into an organ-squeezing hug upon opening the door. Sapnap was alarmed and yelped a little in surprise.

“Dream! You almost got caught! You’re so reckless! How could you go without your earpiece? These are brand new! We spent money making sure you weren’t going to get caught and you waste it!”

The man was berating him like a disappointed mother, and Sapnap caught himself giggling a bit at the accent and how ironic it was.

“Okay mom, I won’t go without the earpiece next time,” Dream said a bit sarcastically. He flashed a grin at Sapnap and held the listening device in his hand. 

“Good,” The man sighed, “How are you? Are you hurt? And I’m not your mother. Can a friend not be concerned about your wellbeing?”

Dream sighed, “I’m ok. Really, I swear. No injuries,” He spread his arms out as if to show that he was ok. _He_ was.

“But there was a casualty,” the man spat out. 

“George, he called the police and I told him-”

“You told him that if he called the police he would get hurt. Really Dream, sometimes I wish you didn’t keep your promises.”

George looked over Dream’s shoulder, very clearly on his tippy-toes, to get a glance at Sapnap who had been awkwardly standing there the whole time. 

“Who’s your friend?” George inquired, now standing up straight and flat-footed. 

“I thought you two had already met? Sapnap used to work with me before moving to Texas. But he’s back now!” Dream’s voice was laced in excitement in the introduction and was clearly smiling ear-to-ear but he stepped back and let them introduce themselves a little more personally.

George looked Sapnap up and down before initiating conversation.

“I’m George. Nice to meet you Snippy Nippy,” George jokingly coughed out.

“Nice to meet you too Gogy,” Sapnap snickered.

“That’s new.”

“Always have more, Grog.” Dream let a small chuckle out at that one.

“Wow! Do you hate me or something?”

“I just met you. How could I possibly?”

“Judging by your seemingly endless nicknames for me you must have even the smallest amount of hatred for me, Sappitus Nappitus.”

“I hold no grudges Greg.”

Dream let out a powerful wheeze, clearly he had been holding it in for a long time. They were acting like old friends even if they hadn’t met before. The chemistry between them was intoxicating, and Dream couldn’t stop laughing from it. 

He wasn’t expecting it to go this well. It was surprising, how they were so different and yet made each other laugh. He thought it would go about the same as fighting fire with fire, flames crashing into each other in harmonious rhythms. One never truly overpowering the other. 

But it wasn’t anything like that. It was two people, genuinely interested in each other. Dream could see it clear as day.

“Ok ladies, break it up,” A voice barked. Another brit, dear god. He was tall and wore a dirty trench coat, spots of faded scarlet speckled on his loose, white tee. He looked intimidating until his cheshire grin plastered over his sunken face. 

“Hey ‘Soot,” Dream started.

“Dream,” he acknowledged, “Did you cause this?”

“Would it get me in trouble?”

“Of course it would you dumb fuck.”

“Aw, you know you love me.”

“I don’t.”

“You do. I’m your favorite.”

“That’s a bold statement.”

Now it wasn’t Dream that was laughing. It was Sapnap and George, who were spitting out fits of giggles after being caught completely off guard. They were practically rolling on the floor by the time the ‘argument’ had subsided.

“-anyway, Dream, I need to talk to you. Be near the Room in 5 minutes,” Soot breathed. Dream gave him a subtle nod and started towards a dirty minifridge, letting a song well up into his ears, completely drawing out the friendly bickering of his friends.

_“I said to you, ‘Why did you do it?’”_

_“Touch the glass, I’ll feel ya through it”_

He opened the minifridge with a soft suction noise, reaching inside for a can of soda.

_“Against the wall with the bracelets on”_

_“You look bizarre in the apricot”_

The can opens with a fizz and a pop. It’s cold against his calloused fingers, and he takes a long drink.

_“You think that you’re space ghost”_

_“You’re wanted coast to coast”_

Dream went and sat down in a beanbag, watching the cracked TV play whatever one of their friends had put on. It was a cartoon, obviously on the older side, and looked like a talk show. He’d guessed it had come out around the ’90s, as it would seem appropriate for its time.

And before he knew it; 5 minutes had passed, and he had to make his way into the Room.

Before he left, he looked over to another man sprawled out on the scuffed up couch near Dream.

“Hey Punz, what show is this?” He asked.

“I dunno. Just popped up on my recommended for Hulu,” Punz replied lazily. He picked up the controller and hit pause. The name glowing in a thin white on the top left.

 _‘Space Ghost Coast to Coast’_ it read. Dream let out a huff, and began his trek to the only finished room in the entire basement, keeping his breathing in check while heading towards his inevitable doom.


	2. Anti

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream learns new things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alas I had no proofreaders for this chapter. Sorry if there are any typos or sentences that aren't grammatically correct. 
> 
> Thank you for your patience & enjoy!

The Room was the only finished section of the Basement’s complex. The only part with actual walls to block out the usually blasting music and or television with whatever movie someone had left on. Oftentimes people who had come back late would sleep on the massive mattress for hours. There were never less than 3 people asleep on it at a time, and people were always wary about keeping their volume low when they passed by.

When you have access to deadly weapons, you don’t want to anger the sleeping beauties. Nobody knew that rule better than him. As someone who’s been awoken before by the occasional careless passersby, and been that passerby, he wasn’t about to risk anything. He was also just planning to sack out as soon as it was over to catch up on lost sleep. 

Dream had assumed that Soot cleared the room before meeting inside, but when the door opened with a click, he was met with another man along with Soot. The other man wore taped glasses set on a broken nose and had put his longer hair into a small bun. He at least had style compared to Dream and was wearing fairly nice boots. He’d make a note of getting nicer shoes, but the lack of light prevented Dream from getting a better look at the larger man.

He was handsome from what you could see of him.

“Ah, Dream, you made it,” Soot started, “Thought you’d be ditching me."

“I would _never_ ,” Dream said with a smirk.

“Well, I’m glad you made it. This is my broth- _Technoblade,”_ He stuttered, “Technoblade. This is Technoblade.”

“Yes. I’m Technoblade. You can just call me Techno though,” He said stoically. His voice was monotone; very level and straight to the point. You could even tell he meant business in his body language.

“Pleasure to meet you Technoblade,” Dream forced out.

“The pleasure’s all mine,” He responded. Dream let out a choked back scoff, practically going on-record to show off his jealousy. It wasn’t fair.

Soot coughed awkwardly, and began, “So! I called you both here to discuss some plans of mine.”

“Well yeah, obviously.”

“Well, I need both of you for it. It’s kind of a big job.”

“Big job? You hardly assign jobs in the first place. We just do what we want half the time.”

“Exactly. Which is why this is so important.”

“Well then spit it out already.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Dream didn’t get that much sleep that night.

As soon as the words confidently strode over Wilbur's lips, Dream’s life shattered, which he hadn't expected. 

There was going to be a bomb, and a big one at that. So you could imagine how restless he was, constantly slipping in and out of being at ease. Dream was supposed to be the strong one in this situation. He definitely tried to be, but it looked like the other man in the room was accepting the new job with open arms and without batting an eye. It made Dream feel weak and powerless, being unable to stop the situation and push forward with it. He was forcing his tears to hide deep in his thoughts, clouding his mind throughout the meeting. It was torture, and he couldn't quiet the meaningless doubts and rhetorical questions floating past his shut eyelids.

Then the door opened, and the silence was broken.

“Dream? Are you awake?”

The voice was soft, and soaked in honey and care. A sickly sweet that you could drown in and never get tired of. At least it was for Dream.

“George?” Dream called back unexpectedly.

“So you _are_. Have you slept at all?”

“Not really.”

“Sorry to hear about that. Sapnap and I were just worried about you because you didn’t come out when Soot and that other guy did. ‘Thought something happened.”

“No, I’m ok. Just tired.”

“In that case, do you mind if I join you?”

“Why can’t you sleep on a beanbag?”

“Because the bed is so much comfier.”

George wasn’t wrong. The bed was made of memory foam and was covered in a soft bedsheet. It was nice. 

“Fine.”

“Yay! Thank you Dream.”

With his permission received, George flopped down onto the bed next to him and let his limbs unfurl from his body into a star. 

“You got comfortable quick,” Dream laughed tiredly and turned to look at his friend, who was staring at the ceiling with big eyes. He got a hum from George in response who had lifted his head ever so slightly, drawing his eyes over Dream’s face.

Despite his injuries and imperfections, George still thought Dream was beautiful.

“You’re handsome. You know that right?” He pointedly asked.

“Oh come on.”

“It’s the truth! You are!”

“You can barely see me in this light. I bet my hair’s a mess.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does.”

“No, really. Stop being so modest.”

“Modest? _Me?_ ”

“Yes, you. Now you’re just acting like a dick.” 

George repositioned himself on the mattress, forcing his elbows into propping himself up. He turned towards Dream and flashed him a grin.

Next thing he knows, a strong arm is holding George into a tight embrace. Allowing the other’s arm to rest around his shoulder made him feel safe. Protected, even. Dream felt his face bloom with the redness of a firetruck with his forwardness surprising himself. They rarely did things like this in private, and while they had their flirtatious jokes to bounce off of, this felt more genuine. 

More intimate.

And it was nice.

Dream felt hot tears well up into his eye, choking back weak sobs as reality settled under his warm skin. George furrowed his brows as he felt his friend draw in shaky breaths, and a pool of tears on his shoulder where Dream was resting his chin. And while George didn’t know specifics about what they had discussed in the meeting, his heart ached for his friend. He only understood the job was a big deal and that Dream would be praised endlessly for it. That was everything. 

A soft melody stumbled over his lips in a hum. The very song that was playing over the speakers earlier. The one that had momentarily distracted Dream from lighthearted bickering as George rubbed his back in small, comforting circles.

It was peaceful.

Quiet.

____________________________________________________________________________

Dream and George had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Quiet humming and a calming back rub lured them both into a deep sleep, and neither regretted it for a second. 

They were asleep for at least a few hours until someone stirred the wrong way. Beforehand though, the sight of the pair cuddling was quite the spectacle to the few who stumbled into the Room unknowingly. Dream was certain someone had taken their picture, who wouldn’t, and it was _definitely_ being passed around the Basement at that very moment.

Sure enough, as soon as Dream begrudgingly got up from under the warm sheets and opened the heavy door, he was met with another face staring at him in the eye. 

“So...George?” The figure poked. Dream was still adjusting his vision to the suddenly brighter room.

“Something like that. But I’ve just been under a lot of stress. He’s been helping recently,” Dream pointed out.

“Oh, I bet. The picture’s still cute though.”

“There’s a picture?”

“Mhm. Wanna see?”

Dream nodded, and the figure handed him a phone with the splotchy photo.

They were cuddling. His face was hidden behind the crook of George’s neck, and both were very clearly asleep. Dream felt his face go warm again.

“Dude you need to delete that.”

“No way! You guys look so cute!”

“I’m being serious.”

“I’ll send it to you.”

Dream hesitated.

“Fine,” he decided, “and then you have to delete it off your phone.”

“Deal.”

Dream waited for his phone to light up with the text message and watched them delete the picture off their phone without hesitation. He grinned at the other, by now his vision had cleared up and he could see the fine details of the figure. It was a younger boy with brown, fluffy hair. He was shorter than Dream and was wearing a bright hoodie. Probably some designer brand that Dream didn’t know.

“I don’t think we ever formally introduced ourselves,” Dream said quietly, “I’m Dream.”

“I know that,” The other laughed, “I’m Karl.”

“Karl.”

“Yeah? That’s my name.”

“No- it’s not that, I think I’ve heard your name before from Sapnap. Do you know him?”

“Mhm! He’s a good friend of mine,” Karl’s laugh was bright, like a child’s almost. His voice matched his demeanor, one that could belong to a teenage boy.

The door opened again, and a groggy George stepped into the light. He hovered a hand over his eyes and squinted. He clearly didn’t want to be awake at that moment.

“Dream?” His tired voice was soft and slurred.

“Good morning George,” Dream said in the same soft voice.

“Good morning George!” Karl exclaimed. 

“Who’re you?”

“This is Karl. Karl, George. George, Karl,” Dream hurriedly explained.

“N-nice to meet you. Dream why’re you awake? It’s 4 AM.” George had wrapped himself around Dream’s stiff arm and was still speaking in a mumbly tone.

“Slept all my tiredness away I suppose.”

“You’re hopeless,” he scoffed.

Karl occasionally joined the conversation when he could, until he got so tired he had to excuse himself and walk into the Room himself. He wouldn’t come back out for a few hours. Sometimes when you listened closely enough, you could hear quiet snores bubbling into the damp air.

Dream and George walked back to the main area in silence. George was still waking up, and Dream didn’t want to provoke him with unwanted conversation. It was the least he could do.

Nearly everyone was passed out around the room. Some people were splayed out on soft rugs, others on the couches, and one person was even laying on the coffee table, a half-empty bottle of what Dream could assume was alcoholic, resting in between relaxed fingers.

Looks like someone had a good time last night.

Sapnap was sitting in the corner in a beanbag and perked up when he saw Dream and George walking in together. He was like a puppy in some ways. Full of hyperactive energy that overflowed like a glass of wine. He set down his phone on the side of the chair and slowly made his way towards them. 

“Is he even awake?” Sapnap whispered to Dream.

“If he was I’d be shocked,” Dream replied with a snicker. George glared at him.

“Yes. I’m awake,” George scoffed, “If I wasn’t then I wouldn’t be standing.”

“Then we need to fix that.”

George looked at him with curiosity. What did he mean by ‘Then we need to fix that’? Realization boiled in his gut as Sapnap made his way back to the beanbag. Where the phone was still resting.

Dream impulsively ran to the phone, ignoring George’s protests and pushing past Sapnap

“Dude! What’re you doing?” Sapnap asked in a hushed voice.

“Depends. What are _you_ doing?” Dream bit back.

“I was just gonna show him a picture. Actually, you should see it too. Now give me my phone.”  
  
Dream still held the phone high above his own head, yet trying to keep it high above Sapnap and not hitting a beam proved to be a challenge on its own. Sapnap still tried reaching for the stolen phone, despite being smaller than his friend. George and Dream filled the open room with euphoric laughter with Sapnap’s poor attempts to silence the merciless teasing.

Dream and George were practically shaking from the choked back tears. It was incredibly amusing, but in an attempt to not wake anyone up they had to remain as quiet as possible. They were already on thin ice, told by the stirring of a few people on rugs nearby.

Sapnap finally gave up, crossing his arms and looking up at Dream with pure sass. He lowered his arm holding the phone and handed it to his friend. Then bent his head a little forward, and whispered something into his ear in an unintentionally low rumble. 

“Delete the picture, or I’ll make sure you won’t get the same treatment.”

Sapnap’s ears went red, and in his peripheral vision, he could see Dream’s expression. He was grinning, and his green eye glistened with a glowing hunger the second they made eye contact. 

What the fuck was happening here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for indulging in my brainrot. it was hard to incorporate sappy nappy in this chapter, but i think it turned out ok! sorry about the shortness of it, the next two will be much longer and will come out in the next couple of weeks. i pinky promise :]
> 
> much love! have a wonderful day! <33


	3. Villain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> long talks on the roof > long walks on the beach.

What the fuck was happening here.

Sapnap’s mind went rampant, and his knees weak with the sudden whirlpool of emotions Dream had instilled in him. 

He was a mess, and when his friend pulled away from his ear the full picture came into view. He was blushing a brilliant shade, and Dream could only smirk back. This little tease.

“Sapnap?”

George was still there, and he didn’t hear. He couldn’t have heard the suggestive tone tied to Dream’s words. He couldn’t have seen the ravenous fire, riddling Dream’s eye and piercing Sapnap’s insides.

“Sapnap? ‘You in there?” Dream was laughing at him. Dear god, why was he laughing at him. There wasn’t a joke, but did Dream think his feelings were?

He’d never know unless he asked..

Sapnap’s body felt like it was floating, as if all of him were made of hot air. Thankfully the cold surrounding him brought him back down.

“I-I’ll be right back,” He stammered.

Just like that, the trio was down to two and Sapnap was now heading to the Basement’s exit to get some fresh air.

“What was up with him?” George’s sleepy voice wondered airily. 

“I have no idea,” Dream responded.

“What did you say? He looked a mess.”

“I didn’t say anything out of the ordinary.”

“What do you consider  _ in  _ the ordinary?”

“The usual.”

“ _ Dream. _ ”

“What?! I didn’t say anything!”

“You’re the worst. I’m going to check on him. You reflect on your actions here. When I come back you better have formulated an apology for him.”

Before Dream had opened his mouth to retaliate, George was gone. 

Dream was left alone with his thoughts and the floor with deep snores. He let himself melt into the same beanbag Sapnap had a few minutes ago, feeling his heart beat out of his chest and adrenaline flowing through his body. It was a chemical he was addicted to like a child and their candy. It was the reason he breathed, the reason he ate and the reason he got up every morning.

The thrill of the chase. 

Chasing something he’ll never get, and probably never will.

Dream drew an arm over his face and wiped a bead of sweat from his temple. His hands were frigid on his face and sent chills down his spine. 

This feeling was weird. He couldn’t decide if he enjoyed it or if it was torture. Maybe some twisted version of both.

But someone had left the speakers on autoplay.

This damn song again.

_ “You think that you’re space ghost-” _

_ “You’re wanted coast to coast-” _

Dream felt his worries slip through a tight grasp.

_ “Fuck that shit, now I go-” _

_ “My way and you go yours-” _

His eyelids fluttered shut.

____________________________________________________________________________   
  
  


Sapnap was sitting on the roof, the early morning air flowing under his shirt and waking his tired features. It was chilling on his warm skin, and George was sitting down near him.

What a way to add to the heat, sitting next to a pretty boy he barely knew.

The moon was low in the Floridian sky, and its dim light showed off George’s meticulously sculpted features and the dusting of pink on his nose and cheeks. Sometimes he felt a light shiver dance through his body, sending chills under his warm skin.

The hoodie George was wearing would brush up against the other ever so lightly.

A green hoodie, clearly oversized strings pulled to a strain and tied like a shoelace.

Dream’s hoodie.

“Damn. Hoodie exchanging already?” Sapnap asked him with wide eyes.

“I-I guess?” George stuttered. His face went a little warm.

“Dream doesn’t let  _ anyone  _ wear his hoodie.”

George looked away hurriedly, face completely flushed in embarrassment.

“Well I-” His body was set on fire, “I-I got cold?”

“Bullshit.”

“Look, I came up here to check on you. If you don’t want me up here you could just say so.” George spun himself around from the ledge, and carefully pushed himself up onto his feet from where he was sitting. His body had amassed a small spot of heat on the ledge where he had gotten comfortable. Without it he found himself quite cold, and a small shiver found its way down his spine even with the large hoodie covering his smaller figure.

“No wait-” Sapnap’s heart had spoken before his brain, and it showed all over his face in a bright pink as he spun around to face George’s back, already almost at the ladder to get down

“Don’t go just yet. Please?”

____________________________________________________________________________

Dream was rudely awoken in the early hours of the morning by a splash of hot water onto his face. He certainly wasn’t expecting it, and the snickers of his colleagues didn’t make anything better. Just meant he had a reason to threaten an assasination and break a few chairs from the agonizing pain in the scar. 

The water sent shoots of it through his head, and adrenaline through his veins.

All pain yet no gain, and here he was losing his mind over the rush it gave anyway. In a state of desperation Dream stumbled towards the exit to get some fresh air. Maybe lower the pressure of scarring heat rising in his face. He felt the cool hatch underneath his calloused fingertips, almost tempted to just mash his face into it to relieve himself for a couple seconds. He considered that option for a good minute before deciding to just open it and go outside. 

The air was still cool, and the change of air pressure sent shivers down Dream’s back with the lack of anything warm covering his shoulders. The Basement was arguably more warm than the chilling night, and he was learning this the hard way despite living here his entire life.

You’d think he would’ve known this by now, but nonetheless Dream let the dew of last night stick to him. It definitely helped a fair bit, but it wasn’t enough no matter what he tried. His hands were clammy from the humidity and his crazed state made him forget to wear shoes. He sighed quietly in defeat, and drew his attention towards the metal ladder and hushed talking.

The roof.

Sapnap and George.

They had never gone inside, and it was never Dream’s intention to spy on what could’ve been a private conversation. But saying aloud that it was didn’t stop his perfectly good ears from eavesdropping. He swore to himself that he’d apologize later for it.

“-I don’t know how to describe it. Like my whole body was set on fire and free falling. It couldn’t decide if it hurt or if it felt-” Sapnap’s normally louder voice was set quieter to make it so only George could hear. Dream laughed softly to himself at the thought of his friend having any form of an ‘inside voice’.

“Amazing?” 

“Maybe.” His words morphed into bullets whose set path was Dream’s pounding heart. Each one with increasing pain when he leaned against the brick alley to get a better listen.

George let out a quiet hum in response, and Dream started climbing up the ladder. Why hadn’t Sapnap told him about this mysterious person? Were they somebody back in Houston? How did they meet? His nosiness overcame him with curiosity.

He reached the top of the ladder in a matter of seconds, being careful to put his weight evenly on each rung to prevent an unwanted announcement to his friends.

But once he got to the top, he just quietly walked over to the ledge they were still sitting on, and waited for someone to notice. Until someone did.

“D-Dream!” George yelped. His face turned pink in embarrassment when Dream had silently set his cold hand on George’s significantly warmer one. Dream wheezed at his reaction, and went to sit on the ledge with the other two.

“Why are your hands so cold?” George probed. Dream shrugged and set his hands next to him on the ledge.

“Dunno. I only came up here because they poured boiling water on my face again. Guess I dozed off waiting for you guys,” Dream smiled at his own exaggeration and lifted his chin towards the sky. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon and sent a soft light over the busy city. Sapnap looked out at it, he thought it was beautiful and always had. He’d almost forgotten how different sunrises looked in Florida compared to Texas, and at least now he’d be able to get used to it again.

George snuck glances at each of his friends. The warm light illuminated their features perfectly, and made them look ethereal. 

_ Wow. _

He hadn’t really seen his friends like this before. One that would make him think  _ “Wow, how did I get lucky enough to be friends with these gorgeous people?”  _ It hurt his brain more than he’d like to admit, and it made his eyelids feel heavy. He was probably just tired and a bit sleep deprived, though he’d never admit that now. 

Sapnap accidentally caught George’s eye and felt his face go red. The way the early morning sun refracted against his eyes was mesmerizing, like bits of gold were caught in molasses. He gave his friend a small, tired laugh at the deer-in-headlights look that George was giving him. Dream’s attention was shifted to the laugh. So captivating and bright, his body reacted in that of a dog when his ears caught notice of it in the sea of silence. He lowered his chin, and turned towards them. 

Sapnap laughed more when he caught Dream’s eye, who was raising an eyebrow at him as if to ask, “ _ What’s happening?”  _

“George was caught staring at my marvelous physique,” Sapnap jokes. George looked over his shoulder and met Dream’s face, who was grinning ear-to-ear.

“Georgie, were you sneaking looks at me and Sapnap?” Dream looked like he was holding back a laugh and his face went warm with his own boldness.

“I can’t with you two. It’s too early for this,” George scoffed. He spun himself around onto the roof to get himself onto his feet, “I’m going inside.”

“No no no no. You still have my hoodie,” Dream snickered. George’s ears flared a brilliant shade of scarlet, and shyly stepped towards the expectant pair.

“I don’t think you deserve to have it back. What if I just gave it to Sapnap?”

Dream raised his eyebrows and glanced at Sapnap, who just shrugged his shoulders.

“I wouldn’t mind one bit,” Dream’s cheshire grin slid onto his face as if it were instinct.

“Fine then,” George announced. He then began to raise his arms above his head and peel off the neon green hoodie. A bright blue shirt peaked from underneath, and raised an inch upward when the static from the hoodie showed its colors where there was none visible to the eye. A bit of George’s stomach was revealed from the shirt’s betrayal, and he frantically turned around to shove the treasonous shirt into his pants. Just in case it would happen again, though all three of them were most definitely pink after that.

“Dream,” George complained, “I’m stuck.”

Dream’s head flew in the direction his name was called and lost his mind when his eyes caught sight of George. The exceptionally large hoodie was stretched over his torso, but the sleeves were scrunched up and part of it was already off him. Dream and Sapnap couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“Don’t laugh. It’s not my fault you wear a larger size than me,” George scoffed.

“Well now I don’t want to help you. This is incredibly amusing,” Dream poked. 

“Aw, you wouldn’t,” Sapnap added.

“Oh I would,” Dream’s smirk broke the banter and sent Sapnap swirling into fits of giggles.

“Please Dream? If you help me I’ll owe you. Please? It’s getting hard to breathe,” George pleaded.

“Fine. Sapnap you’re helping,” Dream decided.

Sapnap took a few shallow breaths to calm his snorts of brief giggling and stood up to help his friend with Dream.

Dream took hold of the floppy sleeves and moved the collar of hoodie from folding.

“Anybody home?” He joked. George slapped him playfully in return, and Sapnap shook his head at them. He was trying to keep himself together while looking at the pair, trying to figure out what he could do to help George take the hoodie off without completely embarrassing himself.

“Dream d-do you need any help?” Sapnap stuttered.

“You could keep my shirt down. It apparently hates when I wear hoodies,” George chuckled. 

Dream hummed in response, and Sapnap did what he was offered to. He took the shirt in his hand, and felt underneath for the stitching to signify the end of it. Once it was found, he carefully slid his arm around George to grab the rest of it. A few times his hands would accidentally touch bare skin, and he’d apologize endlessly for it. It wasn’t like he meant to freak him out. Sapnap was equally uncomfortable as George was in this situation, but he complied.

“Ready George? Sapnap?” Dream inquired. George nodded his head obviously enough to see through the thick fabric, and Sapnap answered in a similar fashion.

“1..”

“2…”

“3..!” Dream counted. With that, George was freed from his neon green prison. He was obviously relieved by it too, judging by his deep sighs and pink features. 

“Sapnap. I believe this is yours now?” George smirked as he handed the balled-up hoodie to his friend. 

“Aw. I thought you were joking,” Dream frowned. Sapnap stuck his tongue out at him and took the hoodie from George without hesitation.

“I still owe you though Dream,” George reiterated.

Dream thought about it for a second before coming to a conclusion.

What he wanted?

...

_ ‘What do you want?’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MMMMMMMM THANK YOU FOR READING <33


	4. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream and George spend some time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love you

“Sorry, what did you say?” Dream asked, feeling bad for zoning out while George was talking. Some quick shakes of feelings hit him like a truck when he finished his question. 

“I just told you that I owed you still,” George repeated, furrowing his brows at him sympathetically, “Are you okay?” Sapnap looked at him about the same, now wearing the a-bit-too-big hoodie.

“I’m- yeah. I’m okay,” Dream affirmed them, “Just tired, I think.” He massaged circles onto his forehead and avoided eye contact with either. “I’m ready to go back down.”

“Okay. George are you ready to go inside?” Sapnap asked him. George nodded, and took Dream’s hand in his, and led him to the ladder with Sapnap following closely behind them. Hesitating before grabbing Dream’s other hand and shoving it cautiously into the single hoodie pocket. Maybe his hand might warm up.

Dream didn’t really care. He felt drained and was hearing things probably. All he needed was rest.

This was all a dream. 

He was dreaming, he had to be.

_ ‘Is he dreaming?’ _

“Yes,” Dream didn’t even know who or what he was responding to. Somewhere in his mind, he didn’t really want this to be a dream yet still replied without hesitation. But the reality was that he did want it to be, and the clarity in his voice was tied to a lie. That Sapnap and George  _ were  _ actually holding his hands, and that they cared enough to usher him down this chilling ladder and made sure he didn’t slip. The sense of security made it feel too good to be true.

“What’d you say?” Sapnap asked him. Dream was startled by his question, and his delayed response posed that he hadn’t completely registered it in his busy mind. It was reeling with other questions, and emotions that he didn’t understand to their fullest extent. 

“Hm? Nothing. I said nothing,” Dream lied. Had he really responded to something he wasn’t even sure was real? He really was tired, and George and Sapnap were bearing witness. They definitely thought he was going crazy. 

He wasn’t crazy.

The tarp-covered alley was cooler than the roof had been, and now they were mindlessly searching for the porthole while Dream was leaning against the bricks. It wasn’t terribly uncomfortable granted his condition and was thoroughly amused watching Sapnap and George frantically shuffle around to find the opening.

When they finally did, relief washed over the group like a wave. George calmly walked towards Dream, and lowered a slender hand to him. He wanted him to take it, and when he did he was met with a tight grip on his wrist and a force defying gravity. George was helping him stand, and Dream was sent into a fit of laughter at his failed attempt. George was strong, no doubt about that, but clearly not strong enough to support Dream’s weight in the “cold as fuck” morning. He gave it his best shot, but he had to wave over Sapnap to lend a literal hand at lifting the sad-looking man wasting away on the dirty concrete. The added strength made lifting him easier, and they were able to lead him down the pit with ease. 

The hallway was empty of the usual chatter, and both Sapnap and George were trying their best to be courteous towards Dream. Each had wrapped an arm around him to help him walk, despite being as drowsy as he was. The steps were slow and with each one getting heavier, like the air was thickened. George even had to lean forward to keep up with Dream’s long legs, and be able to support his part of the weight. They left him on the floor to pull the tarp and porthole back over to keep secrecy, so it was going to be another chore on its own to get Dream back up. His body felt weightless, but they were carrying all of it for him. 

“He told me he’d slept all his tiredness away,” George jabbed. Sarcasm fit well in his voice as if it were instinct to make jokes in that fashion. Sapnap at least found it humorous from the stifled chuckle and the shaking of his head.

_ ‘Shut up.’  _

“Huh?” Dream mumbled. Sapnap snuck a glance at him out of concern, assuming his friend was going insane as he carefully lifted him to his feet. Dream was obviously out of it. He never missed a word from their mouths as he was now. George glanced at him, and rolled his eyes like it was no big deal.

From an outsider's perspective, this was certainly a sight to behold. You could imagine how disheveled they all looked. The light breeze slightly roughed up unwashed hair and reddened cheeks from playful banter and morning air. Made them look like they had a good night out at some club. Not at all like they had just spent hours on the rooftop just talking and having a good time. Hopefully, nobody in the Basement would take notice or ask questions, but someone was most definitely awake at this hour. The music was just loud enough.

George gave Sapnap a look of terror. “Can you go ahead to make sure it isn’t,” He cleared his throat. “‘ _ You-Know-Who _ ’?” Dream let out a drowsy giggle. You could even call it dreamy with how he drew out the “e’s” in it. Like it was draining his chest of any breath that was present before.

“He’s not  _ Voldemort _ ,” Sapnap snickered.

“Might as well be,” George scoffed playfully. Normally Dream would be rolling on the floor, but his predicament prevented his wheezes akin to a tea kettle. All he did was roll his eyes and stare at George full of admiration, grinning like he’d won a prize. Sapnap reluctantly left him and Dream alone in the chilling hallway with a small wave, both sitting against the unfinished wall and letting the terrible draft rip the air from their lungs.

Dream tiredly lolled his head towards George. “My hands. My hands are cold,” he huffed.

“What do you want me to do? Hold them?” George quietly laughed. 

Dream returned the same breathy laughter and rolled his head in the other direction. “I mean, unless?” George flushed, and immediately turned away to take in the cool, grounding air brushing past his cheek. 

He gave him a side-eye. “Fuck you, Dream,” he sighed and then grabbed his friend’s hand, “God, you were right, your hands are  _ frigid.”  _ Dream giggled at George’s reaction and held his friend’s hand in return.

“Can you look at me George?” Dream whispered. That was all he had to do, just ask and George would comply. His face was beet red and he was doing his best to not make eye contact. Suddenly this wasn’t the case, as Dream got a rush of boldness and lifted George’s chin to face him. Forcing eye contact, and seeing the flecks of gold in Dream’s hungry eyes.

George stared deeply into them. So mesmerizing and beautiful, it was like being under a spell that Dream had cast just for him. “Sapnap is taking an awfully long time to come back,” he mumbled. Dream was the one with the cup overflowing with butterflies, and let them fill his face in a warm pink despite being the cold they represent. George gave him a small, toothy smile and pressed a small peck on Dream’s hot face.

“What was that for?” Dream was over the moon in his flurry and felt his hands pull away from the other.

“I don’t.. I don’t know. I’m sorry,” George’s face was flushed and his body stiffened.

Everything went dark, then he was no longer in the chilling hallway. The one which filled his empty cup with blue butterflies. Those damn butterflies.

_ “Is he ok?” _

____________________________________________________________________________   
  


He woke up. His hands were warm and he felt sick to his stomach at the blurry sight of George and Sapnap leaning over his waking body. The green hoodie was sticking to his back, drenched in a cold sweat and shamefully covering his head with the knit blanket.

“Hey sleepyhead,” Sapnap said in a hushed tone. Fuck. Now he was shaking his shoulder to try and get Dream to sit up. George was still there too. No way was he getting up after what had just happened between them deep in his conscience. Unwashed bed sheets clouded his senses when the refreshing smell of dew and candle wax was so near. It was tempting to shove his head out from under the thin blanket and soak in a deep breath like he was a sponge. Instead, Sapnap did it for him. He was already sitting next to him, tightening the blanket around Dream’s back and pulling a bit of the layer of softness back, showing a bit of the green sweatshirt that was pulled over his head. 

“Oh Dreeeeam. We know you’re awake.” That was definitely George, and told by the springing back of the bed to his left, he was sitting on the other side and was pulling down the hood covering his hair and ears. He turned towards him with a sleepy smile and let tufts of his messy, dark blond hair fall over his taunting eyes. 

He laid on his back and looked at Sapnap’s crooked smile in his peripherals. “You and George need to go to the store. It’s why we came in here. To..um...wake you up. George can’t drive,” he said. Dream let out a small chuckle, suddenly overflowing with confidence as his friend faltered.

“You think I don’t know that. I’ll go to the store after I get showered,” Dream replied.

“When was the last time you did?” George asked, a little disgusted. Dream had to think for a minute.

“Ewww don’t tell me,” Sapnap's face scrunched in copied distaste.

“Probably last week,” Dream answered. He showered the least out of anyone in the Basement to save their friends upstairs a pricy water bill. His showers were usually long and boiling, and he made an effort to make them count when he did. Nobody bothered to ask him about his personal hygiene schedule because it was so screwed up. George was about the same because he didn’t leave as frequently, but the wet hair was pretty telling. 

“You’re nasty,” Sapnap reiterated. Dream sat up and smacked the back of his head playfully. The room erupted with bright laughter at the gesture.

“You’re the one,” Dream choked back a laugh, “You’re the one who asked! I was just being honest!” The air escaped his grasp, alighting the room with it. George and Sapnap followed suit, faces turning pink in the most perfect way imaginable.

“Sapnap you should have expected this! Dream has the personal hygiene of a 13-year-old boy,” George explained between giggles. If they had stayed inside the Room any longer someone might’ve thought something was going on between the 3 of them. So with that, Dream got up from under the warm covers and took a quiet walk of shame past the busy main room. George sat down on an old folding chair at a littered desk. He sat behind a computer and was probably finishing some code for some side project that Dream knew little about. He made a mental note to probably ask him about that when they went to the store.

The stairs created an uncomfortable draft, one scattered with dust particles from the uncleaned railing and unfinished wood. He slowly dragged himself up them, trying not to catch his sock on a splinter. Luckily the upstairs hallway was a lot nicer after you dodge the soft, plastic caution tape blocking the white frame and covering the fingerprinted door. But the floor itself was glazed over a deep chocolatey color and the walls were painted a lovely shade of cream. For how there were very few residents in this building, it was quite nice looking. If Dream wasn’t a wanted criminal, he’d definitely consider renting a place out here. He knocked 5 times on the first door on the left, and a man wearing a dark grey jacket and wire glasses answered.

“Dream! Here for your weekly shower?” He sounded happy that Dream was there, and all he could do is share a weak grin and nod as a light blue hoodie on the floor caught his eye.

Why was it so familiar, and why did it hurt so much to look at? It was just some limp sweatshirt on the dark wood flooring. His friend looked at him worriedly and put a grounding hand on his tense shoulder before leading him inside.

“You still need to shower. I’ll let Skeppy know you’re here,” he said, leaving Dream on the cold leather couch with a small white dog. A couple of seconds later, they both returned to the main room where Dream was sitting patiently, stealing glances at the little patch of sky on the floor. His friend was holding a lime green beach towel out to him, and he quietly took it as he stood.

“Thank you Bad,” he muttered. Bad hummed and gently nudged him forward, facing a short hallway. 2 of the doors were closed, both probably bedrooms, but Dream didn’t care to check. He really only needed the bathroom, which luckily for him, was the room with the door swung open. 

He stepped onto the cold tile, still wearing the torn socks and letting the frigid glass seeth his veins in a cold, unapologetic rage. He huffed and shut the door quietly.  _ “At least my feet are already cold.”  _ He chuckled to himself quietly at his own poor attempt at a joke and rolled his eyes. He tossed the beach towel onto the ground near the foggy shower and sluggishly opened the suctioned door. He slowly turned the knob towards the red, and closed the glass door. 

Dream sighed and nudged the bathroom door gently to close it. 

The water was warm on his skin and sent chills down his spine when the water would cool down. He lifted his chin slightly and let the water run down his face, wincing when the hot water made contact with the gaping hole where his eye used to be, then decidedly turned the knob towards blue.

The warm water had left his exposed body with threatening goosebumps and sometimes felt so cold it hurt. He sluggishly wrapped the lime green beach towel around his waist and sat on the floor of the steamy bathroom.

“ _ I think I’d prefer to be cold.”  _ He laughed.

____________________________________________________________________________

George didn’t have to wait very long for Dream to be done. He had sent a text along the lines of “Meet me upstairs near skephalo’s apt or die”, so there wasn’t any miscommunication on the place they’d meet. Dream was already there when George had dragged himself up the unfinished stairs with a black backpack slung over one shoulder. 

“You aren’t going to wear the fake eye?” George asked him. Dream just shrugged in response and took the bag from him with a small yanking motion. George still kept it on his shoulder stubbornly and furrowed his brow.

“George. Let me carry the bag,” Dream demanded. George just looked at him up and down and shook his head. “Why not?” He whined.

“Because you’re still tired, I don’t trust you. Also, I’m a big boy. I don’t always need you to carry it for me.” George’s accent made that statement a tad endearing to Dream, whose face showed how he’d been reeled in and immediately gave up. Trying to convince him to shrug off the backpack would be hopeless at this point. So he sighed in defeat and led George down the hall to the main exit. A lot of people in this hallway knew them. Very kind people who’d give them leftover food and clothes they were planning to donate anyway. Dream had especially grown fond of an older woman who lived just across the hall from Bad and Skeppy. She’d never interacted with George directly, but it was always Dream who’d go and visit her. He would often return to the Basement with a plastic tupperware full of freshly baked cookies, and when he did the rest of them would practically fall to their knees begging. Most of them hadn’t had a real mother figure in their lives, Dream included, and would soak all her love in whenever she’d stumble down to see them. Those days were good.

Dream wasn’t wearing his green hoodie. It would’ve been too much of a reminder to him about what his mind had conjured. It was dirty anyway, and there was no point in denying that. He’d probably give it to someone next time they went on a laundry run. So instead he was wearing a plain white t-shirt with some basic jeans. At least George looked a little nicer than he did, but Dream wouldn’t give him too much credit. His outfit was still fairly simple, but every small detail made George look new. Dream playfully yanked a pair of silly, white-rimmed clout goggles from George’s head and put them over his own face.

“Hey! I was going to wear those!”

“You were?” Dream asked him.

“Yes! Miss Puffy got them for me.’Said they fit my face.” George flushed in embarrassment and snatched them away from Dream, nervously shaking with giggles and smacking Dream’s forearm defensively.

Dream flinched in response. “They do! Just looks a bit funny,” he laughed. “You look like a bug or something.” 

“Of course you’d say that.”

“I would, wouldn’t I.” 

“You’re such an idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> samsung refrigerator comes back next chapter i promise.

**Author's Note:**

> follow my twitter i’m funny @.petricollie <33 thank you for reading!


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